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Best universities in Turkey 2024

Do you want to study in Turkey? This list of the top universities in Turkey, using Times Higher Education World University Ranking data, will help you choose a university in Turkey

    October 20 2023
    Study in Turkey

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    Top 8 universities in Turkey 2024

    Scroll down for the full list of the best universities in Turkey

    Turkey 2024 Rank  World University Rank 2024   World University Rank 2023  University City/town
    =1  351–400   401–500  Koç University Istanbul
    =1  351–400   501–600  Middle East Technical University Ankara
    =1  351–400   401–500  Sabancı University Istanbul
    4  501–600   601–800  Istanbul Technical University Istanbul
    =5  601–800   801–1000  Bilkent University Ankara
    =5  601–800   801–1000  Boğaziçi University Istanbul
    =5  601–800   401–500  Cankaya University Ankara
    =5  601–800   601–800  Hacettepe University Ankara

    Turkey welcomes more than 250,000 international students each year to its 207 universities. In fact, Turkey is in the top 10 in the world in terms of international student numbers, through both the Erasmus+ scheme and international partnerships with universities. 

    Many universities teach the majority of their courses in English, but students have the opportunity to learn Turkish too, which is among the most widely spoken languages in the world. 

    There are a wide-range of institutions in the country, including large research-intensive institutions and smaller specialist universities. 

    As well as having a range of high-quality universities, Turkey is a great country for students to choose because of its proximity to many other countries in Europe and the Middle East.

    The full ranking of universities in Turkey can be found below. 


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    Top 4 universities in Turkey

    2. Istanbul Technical University

    Istanbul Technical University (ITU) was founded in 1773 by Sultan Musafa III as the Imperial School of Naval Engineering, making it the third oldest technical university in the world. 

    The university has 13 faculties – including aeronautics and astronautics, mechanical engineering and chemical and metallurgical engineering – which offer nearly 40 postgraduate and doctoral programmes. There are also a number of research institutes, such as the Molecular Biology, Biotechnology and Genetics Research Centre and the Center for Satellite Communications and Remote Sensing, and more than 350 laboratories. 

    The university's international graduate exchange programmes allow students to earn dual diplomas at American partner institutions, and there are many double major programmes on offer, along with more than 900 international partnerships and a large number of programmes on offer via Erasmus. 

    =1. Sabancı University

    Sabancı University was created in 1994 through one of Turkey’s leading family foundations, the Sabancı Group. 

    There are three faculties (engineering and natural sciences, arts and social sciences, the Sabanci Business School) and a language school. 

    It is the only university in Turkey that allows students to choose their own programmes. Students follow a set curriculum in the first year, then have the opportunity to choose classes across all disciplines. 

    Every student at Sabancı University must do an internship before they graduate. The career development and internship office at the university provides students with career counselling and helps students to find internships.

    =1. Middle East Technical University

    Middle East Technical University was established in 1956. 

    The university started off in two small buildings, then moved to its current site in Ankara in 1963. 

    All of the university’s degree programmes are taught in English and the university is home to more than 1,700 international students from almost 100 different countries. Faculties include architecture, arts and sciences, economic and administrative sciences, education, engineering and foreign languages. There are also four graduate schools. 

    Facilities include Turkey’s first science and research development park. Known as METU Technopolis and located on its main campus, the park is a hub for high-tech start-ups.

    =1. Koç University 

    Koç University was established in 1993 and is located in Istanbul, Turkey. 

    The university consists of colleges of social sciences and humanities, administrative sciences and economics, science, engineering, law, nursing and medicine. The majority of courses are taught in English, aside from courses within the colleges of nursing and law. 

    Koç University is a leading research university in the region, with 132 research laboratories, 20 research centres, and five research and education forums. 


    Best universities in Turkey 2024

    Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2024 profile

    Turkey 2024 Rank  World University Rank 2024   World University Rank 2023  University City/town
    =1  351–400   401–500  Koç University Istanbul
    =1  351–400   501–600  Middle East Technical University Ankara
    =1  351–400   401–500  Sabancı University Istanbul
    4  501–600   601–800  Istanbul Technical University Istanbul
    =5  601–800   801–1000  Bilkent University Ankara
    =5  601–800   801–1000  Boğaziçi University Istanbul
    =5  601–800   401–500  Cankaya University Ankara
    =5  601–800   601–800  Hacettepe University Ankara
    =9  801–1000   601–800  Bahçeşehir University Istanbul
    =9  801–1000   801–1000  Ozyegin University Istanbul
    =9  801–1000   1001–1200  Yıldız Technical University Istanbul
    =12  1001–1200   1201–1500  Akdeniz University Antalya
    =12  1001–1200   NR  Bartin University Bartin
    =12  1001–1200   801–1000  Firat University Elazig
    =12  1001–1200   1001–1200  Istanbul University Istanbul
    =12  1001–1200   1001–1200  Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Istanbul
    =12  1001–1200   1001–1200  Necmettin Erbakan University Konya
    =12  1001–1200   1201–1500  TOBB University of Economics and Technology Ankara
    =19  1201–1500   1201–1500  Anadolu University Eskisehir
    =19  1201–1500   1201–1500  Atatürk University Erzurum
    =19  1201–1500   1001–1200  Atılım University Ankara
    =19  1201–1500   1201–1500  Bezmiâlem Vakif University Istanbul
    =19  1201–1500   1501+  Cukurova University Adana
    =19  1201–1500   1201–1500  Dokuz Eylül University Izmir
    =19  1201–1500   801–1000  Duzce University Duzce
    =19  1201–1500   1201–1500  Ege University Izmir
    =19  1201–1500   1201–1500  Erciyes University Kayseri
    =19  1201–1500   1201–1500  Gazi University Ankara
    =19  1201–1500   1201–1500  Gebze Technical University Gebze
    =19  1201–1500   NR  Istanbul Bilgi University Istanbul
    =19  1201–1500   801–1000  Istanbul Medeniyet University Istanbul
    =19  1201–1500   1501+  Izmir Institute of Technology Izmir
    =19  1201–1500   1201–1500  Karabük University Karabük
    =19  1201–1500   1001–1200  Sakarya University Adapazari
    =19  1201–1500   1201–1500  Selçuk University Konya
    =36  1501+   1201–1500  Acıbadem University Istanbul
    =36  1501+   1501+  Aksaray University Aksaray
    =36  1501+   1201–1500  Ankara University Ankara
    =36  1501+   NR  Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University Ankara
    =36  1501+   1501+  Başkent University Ankara
    =36  1501+   NR  Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University Bilecik
    =36  1501+   1501+  Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Bolu
    =36  1501+   1201–1500  Bozok University Yozgat
    =36  1501+   NR  Bursa Technical University Bursa
    =36  1501+   1501+  Bursa Uludağ University Bursa
    =36  1501+   NR  Çankırı Karatekin University Çankırı
    =36  1501+   1501+  Manisa Celal Bayar University Manisa
    =36  1501+   1501+  Dicle University Diyarbakir
    =36  1501+   1501+  Dumlupinar University Kutahya
    =36  1501+   1501+  Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Erzincan
    =36  1501+   1501+  Eskişehir Osmangazi University Eskişehir
    =36  1501+   1501+  Gaziantep University Gaziantep
    =36  1501+   NR  Hitit University Çorum
    =36  1501+   1501+  Inönü University Malatya
    =36  1501+   NR  Istanbul Aydın University Istanbul
    =36  1501+   1201–1500  Istanbul Medipol University Istanbul
    =36  1501+   NR  Izmir Institute of Technology Izmir
    =36  1501+   1501+  Karadeniz Technical University Trabzon
    =36  1501+   NR  Kastamonu University Kastamonu
    =36  1501+   1501+  Kirikkale University Kirikkale
    =36  1501+   NR  Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Kırşehir
    =36  1501+   1501+  Kocaeli University Kocaeli
    =36  1501+   1201–1500  Marmara University Istanbul
    =36  1501+   NR  Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Niğde
    =36  1501+   1501+  Ondokuz Mayis University Samsun
    =36  1501+   NR  Ordu University Ordu
    =36  1501+   NR  Pamukkale University Denizil
    =36  1501+   1501+  Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Rize
    =36  1501+   1501+  Sivas Cumhuriyet University Sivas
    =36  1501+   1501+  Süleyman Demirel University Isparta
    =36  1501+   1201–1500  Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Tokat
    =36  1501+   1501+  Uşak University Uşak
    =36  1501+   1501+  Van Yüzüncü Yil University Van
    =36  1501+   1501+  Yeditepe University Istanbul
    =36  1501+   1501+  Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Zonguldak

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